Geologic modeling framework

Abstract

A method can include accessing a finite element cell grid in a depositional space for a geologic environment, where finite element topological cells spatially overlap in a region of the depositional space that includes a discontinuity; processing the finite element topological cells using one or more scalar fields to generate depositional grid cells, where each of the depositional grid cells includes a surface defined by the discontinuity and at least one surface defined by at least one of the one or more scalar fields; and assigning one or more physical properties to each of the depositional grid cells to generate a computational model that characterizes the geological environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 accessing a finite element cell grid in a depositional space for a geologic environment, finite element topological cells spatially overlap in a region of the depositional space that includes a discontinuity;   processing the finite element topological cells using one or more scalar fields to generate depositional grid cells, each of the depositional grid cells includes a surface defined by the discontinuity and at least one surface defined by at least one of the one or more scalar fields; and   assigning one or more physical properties to each of the depositional grid cells to generate a computational model that characterizes the geological environment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the finite element cell grid includes hexahedral cells and the finite element topological cells include hexahedral cells. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more scalar fields represent one or more horizons. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more scalar fields include isovalues. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing explicitly cuts the finite element topological cells. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the processing triangulates cuts to the finite element topological cells. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing implements a hybrid technique that explicitly cuts the finite element topological cells and implicitly cuts the finite element topological cells. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the hybrid technique performs explicit cuts in one of the depositional space dimensions and performs implicit cuts in another one of the depositional space dimensions. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing includes implementing a marching cube technique to cut the finite element topological cells. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing includes extracting a horizon represented by one of the one or more scalar fields in a number of the finite element topological cells. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising clipping and discarding a portion of the extracted horizon in one or more of the number of the finite element topological cells using the discontinuity. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising interpolating values of the horizon in one or more dimensions of the depositional space. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing includes removing internal faces of a number of the finite element topological cells to generate the depositional grid cells. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the depositional grid cells include faces defined by one or more of the discontinuity, at least one of the one or more scalar fields and one or more spatial borders of a depositional grid formed by the depositional grid cells. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity is a fault. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising generating the computational model by transforming the depositional grid cells to a real space that corresponds to a physical domain of the geological environment. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising performing a fluid flow simulation using the computational model and a reservoir simulator to generate a fluid production rate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising performing a comparison of the fluid production rate to an actual fluid production rate and based on the comparison, revising at least one of the scalar fields and re-processing the finite element topological cells. 
     
     
         19 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors;   memory accessible to at least one of the one or more processors;   processor-executable instructions stored in the memory and executable to instruct the system to:
 access a finite element cell grid in a depositional space for a geologic environment, finite element topological cells spatially overlap in a region of the depositional space that includes a discontinuity; 
 process the finite element topological cells using one or more scalar fields to generate depositional grid cells, each of the depositional grid cells includes a surface defined by the discontinuity and at least one surface defined by at least one of the one or more scalar fields; and 
 assign one or more physical properties to each of the depositional grid cells to generate a computational model that characterizes the geological environment. 
   
     
     
         20 . One or more computer-readable storage media comprising processor-executable instructions to instruct a computing system to:
 access a finite element cell grid in a depositional space for a geologic environment, finite element topological cells spatially overlap in a region of the depositional space that includes a discontinuity;   process the finite element topological cells using one or more scalar fields to generate depositional grid cells, each of the depositional grid cells includes a surface defined by the discontinuity and at least one surface defined by at least one of the one or more scalar fields; and   assign one or more physical properties to each of the depositional grid cells to generate a computational model that characterizes the geological environment.